diff --git a/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.path b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.path
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c13d1e83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.path
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=linux-surface default kernel watchdog
+
+[Path]
+PathChanged=/boot
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=default.target
diff --git a/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.service b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.service
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..336c4d444
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.service
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=linux-surface default kernel watchdog
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/linux-surface-default-kernel.sh
diff --git a/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.sh b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..818b3479c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/files/linux-surface-default-kernel.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# get list of surface kernels with timestamp
+kernels=$(find /boot -maxdepth 1 -name "vmlinuz-*.surface.*" -printf '%T@\t%p\n')
+
+# sort by timestamp
+kernels=$(echo "${kernels}" | sort -n)
+
+# get latest kernel (last line) and extract path
+kernel=$(echo "${kernels}" | tail -n1 | cut -f2)
+
+echo $kernel
+
+# update GRUB config
+grubby --set-default "${kernel}"
+
+# update timestamp for rEFInd (ensure it's marked as latest across all kernels,
+# not just surface ones)
+touch "${kernel}"
diff --git a/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/patches/0004-default-kernel.patch b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/patches/0004-default-kernel.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..538ee641f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fedora/kernel-surface/patches/0004-default-kernel.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+From 5d16b0aca7c07c1e3df5c47c61f5b6f402dd987b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Dorian Stoll <dorian.stoll@tmsp.io>
+Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2023 11:47:02 +0200
+Subject: [PATCH] Install scripts and service files for keeping the surface
+ kernel the default
+
+Signed-off-by: Dorian Stoll <dorian.stoll@tmsp.io>
+---
+ redhat/kernel.spec.template | 11 +++++++++++
+ 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+)
+
+diff --git a/redhat/kernel.spec.template b/redhat/kernel.spec.template
+index 9ad0c720d467..5a367c936e05 100644
+--- a/redhat/kernel.spec.template
++++ b/redhat/kernel.spec.template
+@@ -911,6 +911,10 @@ Source4000: README.rst
+ Source4001: rpminspect.yaml
+ Source4002: gating.yaml
+ 
++Source4100: linux-surface-default-kernel.path
++Source4101: linux-surface-default-kernel.service
++Source4102: linux-surface-default-kernel.sh
++
+ ## Patches needed for building this package
+ 
+ %if !%{nopatches}
+@@ -2674,6 +2678,10 @@ find Documentation -type d | xargs chmod u+w
+ 
+ cd linux-%{KVERREL}
+ 
++install -D -m644 "%{SOURCE4100}" -t "%{buildroot}%{_unitdir}"
++install -D -m644 "%{SOURCE4101}" -t "%{buildroot}%{_unitdir}"
++install -D -m755 "%{SOURCE4102}" -t "%{buildroot}%{_bindir}"
++
+ %if %{with_doc}
+ docdir=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_datadir}/doc/kernel-doc-%{specversion}-%{pkgrelease}
+ 
+@@ -3331,6 +3339,9 @@ fi
+ %ghost %attr(0600, root, root) /boot/symvers-%{KVERREL}%{?3:+%{3}}.gz\
+ %ghost %attr(0600, root, root) /boot/initramfs-%{KVERREL}%{?3:+%{3}}.img\
+ %ghost %attr(0644, root, root) /boot/config-%{KVERREL}%{?3:+%{3}}\
++%{_bindir}/linux-surface-default-kernel.sh\
++%{_unitdir}/linux-surface-default-kernel.path\
++%{_unitdir}/linux-surface-default-kernel.service\
+ %{expand:%%files -f kernel-%{?3:%{3}-}modules-core.list %{?3:%{3}-}modules-core}\
+ %dir /lib/modules\
+ %dir /lib/modules/%{KVERREL}%{?3:+%{3}}\
+-- 
+2.40.1
+